DLRP and WDW comparison

[Raci]

Hi all!

I know we're only just back but I'm already trip planning Definatly a great way to kill those post-Disney blues.

Anyway I was thinking I would do a longer DLRP trip but then my friend said if I was going for longer why not go to WDW instead as 2 yr is plenty of planning time.
Well now I'm completely and have way to much to think about.

It would probably be just me and my DD and having never been out of Europe before I feel a bit out of my depth.
So can any who'v done both DLRP and WDW give me any comparisons or just tell me if its a crazy idea. I like the fact that all DLP is within walking distance for maximum freedom and never used the pink buses because of how crowded people said they were. How does transport at WDW compare, is it as bad as the pink buses?

Is MK in WDW very similar to DLP or do they have huge differences?
How would it compare price wise?
Also having stayed at SL twice which on-site hotels at WDW are similar standard accomodation as they seem to have a diff rating system?

I posted on this board as its more the comparison stuff I need to know at the mo so I hope thats ok
Thanks for any help and advice

 

[farfalla818]

I can only help a little, since I've been to DL in California and WDW in Florida, and while I've traveled to Europe many times I have never been to DLPR. I'm busy researching DLPR for my first visit. The biggest difference I see straight away is that WDW comprises 4 parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. IMO, all are worth visiting.

My best resources for WDW are the TourGuideMike website www.tourguidemike.com, www.allearsnet.com (particularly for menus), and of course here. The passporter series of books are very good (particularly the maps).

The transportation strikes me as amazing for DLPR--I can't imagine everything in walking distance! WDW becomes a challenge, because every value and moderate resort is not in a walking proximity to ANY park. There are a few deluxes where boat, monorail, or walking to certain parks can occur.

The Sequoia Lodge looks like a Wilderness Lodge attempt though I have no idea which came first (could be the other way around. the Animal Kingdom Lodge in WDW is Wilderness Lodge's sibling. They had the same architect). The Wilderness Lodge (a deluxe resort) is dramatic and stunning and on the lake. You can take a direct boat to Magic Kingdom.

Another thing I noticed is that the DLPR hotels have character meet and greets. That does not occur in WDW. You meet characters at a few resorts IF that resort has a character breakfast. Otherwise characters are only at the parks.

The Epcot factor seems to be unique for Florida. A lot of the rides seem to be the same between DL in California and DLPR and even Magic Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios. The closest Epcot I know of in Europe is Europa Park's (in Freiberg, Germany) copy of the Epcot sphere and the world pavillion style for their "lands'.

And obviously there is not an Animal Kingdom in DLPR. AK is a fantastic park though! We love it. You can also consider a land and sea package. 3 or 4 nights on a Disney Cruise leaving from Ft Lauderdale plus time at WDW.

DLPR has a restaurant in POTC, that is one of things I want to do! WDW doesn't. But it does have a restaurant called garden grill in the Land in Epcot that rotates inside the ride. And in the Mexico Pavillion in World Showcase in Epcot, the boats from the Tres Caballeros float by diners at San Angel's.

I don't know if any of this helps, but I hope something did!

 

[hildasmuriel]

Can't help with the comparison, sorry.
I just wanted to say I went to DLRP 3 times last year and a number of people have pointed out that for what I spent I could have gone to WDW. One person even asked "Why don't you go to the proper Disney", like Paris is a cheap rip-off. Now I am quite a stubborn person and this sort of thing just makes me dig my heels in and insist that I don't want to go to Florida, but there is more than grain of truth in that.
I don't enjoy travel (in fact if Disney wasn't in France I would probably never leave the UK) so the thought of an 8 hour flight and then a wait to clear customs doesn't thrill me.
I don't really like hot weather and I get the impression Florida can be a bit warm.
I'm not good at waiting for things, so saving for a holiday in 2 years instead of taking several short breaks in the meantime just doesn't appeal.
It's much more difficult taking children out of school for long breaks (heads are clamping down on this) so a visit to WDW would have to be during school holidays = crowds.
I don't think I could do 2 weeks of Disney without collapsing with exhaustion. I know there are lots of other parks and seaworld type things but I don't really have much interest in them. Disney is where I want to be....just not for 14 days!

SO, what I am (very long-windedly!) saying is that WDW may not be for everyone. If you really fancy it, then save and plan like mad and you'll love it. Just don't feel you HAVE to do it, as you've done Paris twice. I still haven't had enough of DLRP - see my ticker ticking away below!

 

[Pokeypoke]

I am doing just the opposite of you Raci. I have been to WDW many times and I am planning my first trip to Europe and DLRP in 2 years. From photos, books, this forum and several people I have talked to, the biggest difference between MK at WDW and the Magic Kingdom at DLRP is the visual details. Europeans tend to be more visual and therefor, the Park in France is a bit more exaggerated/elaborate than MK at WDW (which is why DLRP's MK is considered to be the most beautiful of all the MK's). MK at WDW however, has more attractions than the Park in France.

Attractions at MK that DLP does not have are: Splash Mountain, PhilharMagic, Jungle Cruise, Tiki Room, Country Bears, Hall of Presidents, Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Stitches' Great Escape, Laugh Floor Comedy Club and Carousel of Progress.

And as mentioned, there are 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, a HUGE Downtown Disney, several golf course's, water recreation, several dinner shows, Cirque du Soleil, nightclubs, over 20 Disney resort hotels, and the list goes on.

Pokey

 

[Danauk]

OK, I'll try to answer this as I have been to DLP and WDW both a few times. I would say that if you are trying to compare the two then don't, you really can't. DLP is two parks close together where you can hop easily between them. WDW is 4 parks (only 2 of which you could walk between if you really wanted to but it is around a 15/20 minutes walk) plus 2 water parks (which are both great fun, at one you can swim with sharks!) and a huge Down Town Disney shopping and entertainment district, which again is not walkable from the parks unline Disney Village at DLP.

Now having said all that I would definately recommend a trip to WDW. The transport there is good, busses, boats, monorails which run frequently between the parks and resorts. They are very easy to use and navigate around. Plus as it is so much bigger there is so much more to do there (plus so many other off site places to visit as well if you want to.) Epcot and Animal Kingdom are great parks and are unique to WDW. I actually prefer them to the MK. They have attractions that you can not see at DLP, plus the World Showcase at Epcot is educational as well as fun.

As for the Magic Kingdom/Disneyland Park comparison, I actually prefer the DL park over the MK, the rides are newer, the park is smaller and easier to get around, plus I think some of the rides (especially BTMRR) are far better than their equivalent in the MK. Plus DL park has rides that are in other WDW parks, but it also has some attractions that are unique to Paris. The MK has some different land to DLP, MK has Toontown, plus it has Futureland instead of Tomorrowland where Space Mountains are located. SM at DLP is far better than the one at MK!

Another thing I think is worth mentioning is the variety of restrurants at WDW both in the parks and in the hotels. The quality is very good. Plus WDW do a very good dining plan which is very cost effective.

As for prices, seen as you will be paying for transatlantic flights that will add to the cost, plus as the place is bigger you will want to stay for longer (we usually do 2 weeks but we go to off site places as well; Universal Studios/IOA, Busch Gardens, Kennedy Space Centre, Sea World plus the shopping malls!!) But as the $ is quite good against the £ at the moment the costs would work in our favour.

As you have 2 years you have a lot of time to research and plan. I would definately go to WDW. Read the UK travel planning forum and ask questions, plus the other travel planning forum that the Americans mainly use. Also there are lots of good guide books out there to help. You will be a pro in almost no time!!

 

[Raci]

I just wanted to say I went to DLRP 3 times last year and a number of people have pointed out that for what I spent I could have gone to WDW. One person even asked "Why don't you go to the proper Disney", like Paris is a cheap rip-off.

Thats definatly not the way I would look at it either, I love DLRP and will def go back at some point.
Its just that because I was looking at going for almost 2 weeks anyway if it had been DLRP it was why she suggested it, she has never been to any Disney parks and does not have any preference for either so was not biased.

The travelling to get there doesn't phase me at all its more the travelling around the resort itself, how long bus queues are at the parks and how long each day you have to travel to get to the parks that would bother me.

If we went we would def see some of the surroundings too and not just do Disney, as I wouldn't go all that way and then not see any of the country I was in so I'd prob look at having 2 halves to the holiday. And seaworld is a must.

I know flights would be extra and staying for longer offsite would be extra but how would staying in Disney hotels compare price wise, are the prices fairly similar for stays as they are in DLRP?

Thankyou everyone for your thoughts and advice so far, it all really helps

 

[poohmadmum]

I have been to WDW 3 times and I've lost count of the number of times I've been to DLP since it opened.

I love DLP as its only an hour's flight away, easy to get to from the airport and once there you can walk between the parks and hotels or use the shuttle bus. It's also a much newer park so many of the rides are better than WDW. It's ideal for a short break and quick Disney fix.

However, if you are looking at going for 2 weeks I would definitely recommend trying WDW - and once you've tried it, you will be back! I think you would get bored with 2 weeks at DLP unless you were splitting it with another area of France. The only downside (for me) to WDW is the 10 hour flight but the entertainment on board is quite good and time soon passes. Depending on who you fly with you will either land in MCO (usually scheduled airlines, Virgin) which is about 25 mins away from Disney or Sanford (usually chartered airlines, First Choice, Thomson, TCD) which is about 45 mins away from Disney.

You should do some research on the best time to visit for you. If you're tied to school holidays then for 2 weeks you are probably looking at Easter or Summer holidays or taking kids out of school for a week to tag on to October half term. Summer in Florida is very, very hot and humid so if you don't handle heat well you'd be better going another time. Alternatively start early, take a break during the middle of the day at the pool or air con hotel room and then tour again in the evening.

There is just so much to do in Orlando that you won't do it all in 2 weeks so plan which parks you would prefer to visit as a priority. If you don't want to drive then I would suggest a Disney hotel as all your transport is included and it is good transport. You can't walk between resorts/parks but transport isn't a problem except at park closing. The theming in the Disney hotels is great and much better than DLP. The $ exchange rate is good at the moment although beginning to fall a little and everything in the USA is so much cheaper than UK/France. You'll enjoy the shopping experience with the malls and outlets and you'll probably end up buying a lot as its such good value.

Have a look around different websites to see what's on offer and also check out the UK planning board on DIS. The major expense for WDW is the flight - there are so many accommodations to choose that you can get very good rates and I would say that the Disney hotels are better than DLP. I've not stayed offsite but I know the prices are very competitive but you would need your own transport.

If you price up a 2 week WDW holiday and a 2 week onsite DLP holiday I think you'll be surprised at the comparison. Hope this helps you a little.

 

[A Small World]

We have visited WDW 4 times but several years ago. The first time we went was in 92. We took our 3 sons (then aged 3, 6, 8) as their Christmas present. It was meant to be a once in a lifetime treat but we loved it so much that we did it again the following Christmas. Both times we stayed off site in a Days Inn motel. Nice and comfy, good facilities and not far to drive to Disney.
We then went again a few yrs later - this time during summer and stayed on site at All Stars resort (the on site cheapest) and decided if we ever went again we would always stay onsite. Even staying in the cheapest hotel the facilities were so much better and we felt safer. We were swimming in the pool at midnight once we wouldnt have felt as safe doing that off site. We had another visit again a few years later again during Summer with youngest DS (then 13) and DD (then 3) staying at All Stars.

We didnt use the transport a lot as we had a car but remember it was good and easy to get from one park to another but sometimes it took 2 buses.

The first 2 occasions we had only got a pass for 5 days and felt we had to spend every minute in the 3 parks (No Animal Kingdom then) to make the most of them. When staying onsite we had the length of stay passes and it was so much nicer- we felt we could spend shorter days in the parks and not rush around so much breaking up the days with a swim or shopping trip to the malls. Not sure what type of passes you can buy now but I would def say stay onsite.

However all this was before we had visited DLP.

We love France. We have been holidaying there every year for 18 years and love Disney but just couldnt equate the 2. To us France was France (campsites, good restaurants, beaches, villages, markets etc etc) and Disney belonged in America. We just didnt think we'd like it and werent even willing to try
Until 2 years ago we were going to a campsite near Paris for 2 weeks at Easter and decided we would go for a few days to try it not really expecting to like it and WOW as you've guessed we loved it.

As someone else has posted its hard to compare the 2 as they are so different but I certainly dont feel Im missing out by not going back to WDW. I would love to go back there one day. I love Epcot (probably my favourite park) and Animal Kingdom and the swimming parks are amazing- the theming as much as the actual pools and slides.

In a lot of ways DLP is a more pleasant experience:
Im not a big lover of the hot weather and one of my memories of WDW is queuing for Dumbo for over an hour in 80degrees - no shade- and that was in December!!!!!!

It is also harder (although not impossible) to nip from one park to another or park to hotel quickly.

I love being able to walk from the hotel to park and back again in the evening. At WDW MK you need to get a ferry or monorail from the park to the transportation centre then either a tram to your car or a bus to your hotel. At the end of the evening when everyone is leaving it can take over an hour to get back.

The main cost are the flights and so you need to go for 2 weeks but there will be loads to do. Im not sure if 2 weeks at DLP would appeal though. I dont think there would be enough to do. However we usually do it as part of a 2 week holiday to France but we do drive there - last year we went to Loire Valley first. This summer we are going to Brittany for a week afterwards.

Sorry its so long but the gist of it is I would love to go again but can see definite advantages to DLP and if it was case of saving for 2 years to go to WDW or having few trips to DLP in next few yrs I would choose DLP. If of course I could do both then I would

 

[jillrobinson]

Can't help with the comparison, sorry.
I just wanted to say I went to DLRP 3 times last year and a number of people have pointed out that for what I spent I could have gone to WDW. One person even asked "Why don't you go to the proper Disney", like Paris is a cheap rip-off. Now I am quite a stubborn person and this sort of thing just makes me dig my heels in and insist that I don't want to go to Florida, but there is more than grain of truth in that.
I don't enjoy travel (in fact if Disney wasn't in France I would probably never leave the UK) so the thought of an 8 hour flight and then a wait to clear customs doesn't thrill me.
I don't really like hot weather and I get the impression Florida can be a bit warm.
I'm not good at waiting for things, so saving for a holiday in 2 years instead of taking several short breaks in the meantime just doesn't appeal.
It's much more difficult taking children out of school for long breaks (heads are clamping down on this) so a visit to WDW would have to be during school holidays = crowds.
I don't think I could do 2 weeks of Disney without collapsing with exhaustion. I know there are lots of other parks and seaworld type things but I don't really have much interest in them. Disney is where I want to be....just not for 14 days!

SO, what I am (very long-windedly!) saying is that WDW may not be for everyone. If you really fancy it, then save and plan like mad and you'll love it. Just don't feel you HAVE to do it, as you've done Paris twice. I still haven't had enough of DLRP - see my ticker ticking away below!

Sorry to hijack your thread Raci but
At last, someone with the same thoughts as me . I have considered WDW, but hand on heart I'm not that bothered, I get everything I want from Paris.
I absolutely adore DLRP, if I could go again tomorrow I would, not even my children can understand this and as for my boss, (DVC points been to Florida every year for the past 10 years, sister thought DLRP was rubbish in comparison to WDW), I just can't get it through to him, he keeps saying "Oh, you'd love it" and I keep answering "I'm not that sure I would and I don't even think I want to try it"

Anyway Good Luck with the planning Raci whatever you decide

 

[Danauk]

The travelling to get there doesn't phase me at all its more the travelling around the resort itself, how long bus queues are at the parks and how long each day you have to travel to get to the parks that would bother me.

Travelling around the resort is quite easy. Busses go from all the resorts direct to all the parks (except the Yacht/Beach Club, Boardwalk and Swan and Dolphin - although these 2 are not owned by Disney, these have a boat that takes you to Epcot and MGM which anyone can use to travel between these 2 parks.) Plus there are busses to Downtown Disney. There are also monorails and boats between places, but don't worry about those at the moment! The ques for the busses obviously depends on the time of day, but the busses run so often that if you don't get on one bus another will be along in a few minutes. The only time we have ever really had to wait for a bus is when lots of people are leaving the parks after an evening parade or fireworks.
Obviously travel time depends on the resort you stay at. The deluxe resorts are nearer to one (or 2) of the parks so you can either walk there or take the monorail or boat depending on the hotel and the park it is nearest to, the moderates and values are a little further out but still only 10 minutes or so away. If staying off site it will obviously take longer as you have to actually get on site and then get to the park via either the hotel shuttle or hire car.

If we went we would def see some of the surroundings too and not just do Disney, as I wouldn't go all that way and then not see any of the country I was in so I'd prob look at having 2 halves to the holiday. And seaworld is a must.

We always do this as well. We tend to have a day or two in the parks, then a day off site. Our 1st trip we didn't rent a car but used mears who do taxi service or tours to other places. We used them as a tour to go to Kennedy Space Centre, plus used their taxi service to go shopping and to Discovery Cove and Seaworld. After that trip we have always rented a car, just for ease really but I would be quite happy not to. We have used the car to drive to Universal and Busch Gardens.

I know flights would be extra and staying for longer offsite would be extra but how would staying in Disney hotels compare price wise, are the prices fairly similar for stays as they are in DLRP?

I think the hotel prices would be very comparable. It is hard to make a direct comparison though as the DLP stays include breakfast and park passes where as the WDW hotel prices are for room only. But with the exchange rate at the moment I wouldn't be surprised if WDW hotels were better value for us.

 

[Raci]

Sorry to hijack your thread Raci....

No prob All views are welcome as at the mo I can't decide anything

I think the hotel prices would be very comparable. It is hard to make a direct comparison though as the DLP stays include breakfast and park passes where as the WDW hotel prices are for room only. But with the exchange rate at the moment I wouldn't be surprised if WDW hotels were better value for us.

Thanks for the tip about breakfast and park passes I'd just assumed they were included in the prices I'd seen.

The other problem or maybe not is that I can't drive so anything we did while away would have to be either Disney or public transport.

To do things outside of WDW resort would it be better for transport to stay at the resort or to have a 2nd holiday base for part of the holiday?

Thankyou so much everyone for all your input!

 

[A Small World]

I would say if other things you intended doing eg Universal/ Sea World etc were based in Orlando either stay on or off site fort he whole trip. This means you can then break up your trip with non Disney days.

However some people have a week at Disney and then a week on the coast or on a Disney cruise to do things in that area. In which case it would be a different hotel.

We've always had a car whilst there but Ive heard a lot of people using taxis etc to get them to the mall, Sea World etc. you just have to be more organised. Even staying off site you would probably need taxis to get you to different places as although most hotel provide shuttles to Disney (sometimes there's a charge) they may not provide transport to other sites and no hotel is close enough to get to everything by foot.

I would still recommend staying on site as the transport links will be much better.

Check the prices as although hotels are usually room only (no breakfast or tickets) sometimes if you are booking a package it does include length of stay passes

 

[Raci]

Thankyou, I'll stick with one on site base if we go then.

 

[Ware Bears]

Thankyou, I'll stick with one on site base if we go then.

Just to stick my oar in on this point my friend who went to Florida same time as me last year didn't want to drive, so they stayed 4 nights at a hotel next to Sea World, it was walking distance to Sea World and Discovery Cove, (and they could have caught either the I-trolley or a taxi if they had wanted to visit Universal), then transferred in a taxi to Disney where they spent the remaining 10 days in a Disney hotel using only on-site transport.

This saved them taxi fares for when they wanted to visit Sea World although it meant they had to do it all in one chunk at the beginning of their holiday.

We've always stay off-site because it's cheaper but I wouldn't entertain doing that without a car. Even if your hotel runs free shuttle buses it would mean you were tied to time and sometimes they don't run late enough at night to see the fireworks. Have a look at the main page of the DIS wdwinfo as there is a wealth of info there. Pop Century and the All Star hotels are WDW's value hotels and will be the most reasonably priced ~ if they're not to your liking then have a look at the moderates.

Happy planning!!

 

[Raci]

Thanks Elaine for the tip about the hotel's near Sea World, I'll def bear that in mind.
Still considering the idea at the moment but I'd def like to go at some point